The Arlington County Auxiliary Police Unit is looking for a few good men and women to join their ranks.
The unit was formed in 1942 to help keep Arlington safe while the full-time police force was reduced due to military service during World War II. It has been an active unit ever since.
Did Arlington “Fare Well” in General Assembly? — Despite the failure of Arlington’s two top legislative priorities, the Washington Post thinks the county did okay. In related news, County Board Chairman Chris Zimmerman told the paper that the county will probably not replace the $1 million in tourism funding lost by the expiration of Arlington’s hotel tax surcharge. [Washington Post]
AP Scores Rise in Arlington — Arlington students are taking Advanced Placement exams in record numbers. Meanwhile, the average score on AP exams rose last year. [Sun Gazette]
This week’s Arlington County crime report features a Rosslyn Holiday Inn guest who’s accused of firing a gun at what he “thought” was an intruder in his room. As police dryly noted, “there was no intruder.”
RECKLESS HANDLING OF A FIREARM-ARREST 03/01/11, 1900 block of Ft. Myer Drive. On March 1 at 12:45 am, a man in a hotel though there was an intruder in his room and fired a round from a handgun. There was no intruder, and no hotel patrons were injured. Russell Wooten, 60, of Vienna, West Virginia, was charged with Reckless Handling of a Firearm and Released on a summons to appear in court.
The tournament features 500+ boys and girls travel teams and about 4,500 players from around the mid-Atlantic region and beyond. One team is coming from as far away as Quebec, Canada. Teams range in age from Under-10 to Under-15.
The boys teams will play this weekend. Girls teams will play next weekend.
Last week a bill that would have renewed the county’s 0.25 percent tax surcharge on hotel rooms — a tax that had the support of the local hotel industry — failed in the House of Delegates. The defeat was attributed to Republicans retaliating against Arlington’s HOT lanes lawsuit.
The tax surcharge brings in nearly $1 million each year, which is used to promote Arlington’s $1 billion tourism industry. The surcharge will expire at the end of the year.
Update at 3:15 p.m. — All lanes of I-395 in D.C. have been reopened.
Update at 12:00 p.m. — D.C. is telling Arlington that the accident was fatal (this has NOT been confirmed). Police are blocking I-395 on the D.C. side of the 14th Street Bridge to allow for an extended investigation. Traffic is being diverted onto 14th Street in D.C.
On Friday, county board chairman Chris Zimmerman will be joined by Viktor Anushkevychus, mayor of the city of Ivano-Frankivsk, Ukraine, at a signing ceremony in Crystal City to make the familial relationship official. The signing will be part of the 55th annual Sister Cities International Conference, which Arlington is hosting this weekend.
Ivano-Frankivsk will become Arlington’s fifth sister city, joining Aachen, Germany; Coyoacán, Mexico; Reims, France, and San Miguel, El Salvador.
No other Democrats have filed to challenge Raphael for the endorsement of the Arlington County Democratic Committee. School board races are officially non-partisan, but parties will usually endorse a candidate.
The last Republican to hold a school board seat was Dave Foster, who currently sits on the Virginia Board of Education. Foster declined to run for re-election in 2007, clearing the way for Raphael to run unopposed for the seat and easily claim her first term.
Zpizza Opens in Rosslyn — Office-dwellers in Rosslyn have another lunchtime option. Local pizza chain Zpizza has opened next to the Baja Fresh at 1100 Wilson Boulevard. [TBD]
Alexandria Mayor Endorses Krupicka for State Senate — Alexandria City Councilman Rob Krupicka (D), who’s running for the state Senate seat currently held by the retiring Sen. Patsy Ticer, has received a quick if unsurprising endorsement from Alexandria Mayor Bill Euille. Ticer’s 30th District seat– which encompasses most of Alexandria and South Arlington — is also being sought by Del. Adam Ebbin and Arlington School Board Chair Libby Garvey. [Krupicka for State Senate]
According to the restaurant’s web site, Sichuan hot pot is a 1,000 year old cuisine that consists of “a colorful array of meats, seafood, vegetables, bean curd and noodles that each diner chooses from and dips in a communal pot of simmering liquid.” The pot can be served in mild or spicy varieties.
No word on when Mala Tang will open — it just applied for a liquor license today and nobody is answering the phone — but the restaurant already has a Twitter and a Facebook presence. They’re in the process of hiring restaurant staff, according to a recent Craigslist ad.
The county’s gas infrastructure includes older gas lines from the 1930s and 1940s that may be especially prone to failure. This winter, changes in temperatures have been especially unkind.
Most leaks are reported to be outside and underground. Generally, those are less dangerous, although larger leaks can sometimes prompt authorities to cordon off the area around the leak. Occasionally, the leak is inside a building, which is usually considered more dangerous due to the potential for the gas to build up in the structure. Inside gas leaks often require the building to be evacuated.
At least a half dozen cars suffered flat tires after hitting a big pothole on southbound I-395 this morning.
The pothole is located in the left lane between the 14th Street Bridge and the exit for Route 1, according to VDOT spokeswoman Jennifer McCord.
